Right Here
by rightxhere
Summary: [SamCam] “I can’t, and...I won’t leave you,” she declared.


**Title: **Right Here  
**Author:** Demelza  
**Pairing:** Sam/Cam  
**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and its characters belong to MGM, SciFi Network and all their other owners. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission. Without Prejudice. All original characters are the property of the author.  
**Rating:** O15 (for persons over the age of 15)  
**Genre:** Angst  
**Warnings:** A little language, character death (implied...or is it?)  
**Spoilers: **Line in the Sand, but not really  
**Summary:** "I can't, and..._I won't_ leave you," she declared.  
**Note:** This is for 'Suicide Mission' (prompt #10, table 3) for a fic challenge on LiveJournal.  
**Note 2:** Largely unbeta'd. I suck, I know.

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"At least it's not still raining," Sam murmured, before raking her mud and blood stained fingers through her damp hair.

Sitting opposite her with his back pressed up against an aging tree, Cameron lifted his gaze skyward. The rain had been falling three days straight, and it was only now, in the early morning light that the grey sky had finally stopped its relentless downpour.

His lips cracked with a small smile, and he looked at Sam again.

She had a two inch red and purple graze to her right cheek, and her bottom lip wore two small cuts and light bruising.

"Yeah," he replied, otherwise silent, while guilt at his suggestion they separate from the others those days ago surfaced in the back of his mind.

"If we'd known it was going to rain so much, you think we'd have taken this mission away from SG6?"

_The rain._Not the large patrols that had been hunting them five days straight, _it was only the rain_ she mentioned.

"Honestly?" he asked, shifting his weight against the tree. He winced as pain soared through every overtired inch of his body.

"Cam..." Sam breathed, worried. She moved, placed her hand on his left knee, below the gaping wound in his thigh she'd patched two nights before.

"Rain or shine," he said, ignoring the pain, "we'd be here."

She smiled. "That does sound like us."

A rush of pain went through his leg again, and Cameron gritted his teeth, growling in his chest to keep from screaming aloud.

"You need another shot of morphine," Sam said, and she reached for the pack at her right.

"Sam," he said, stopping her as she went to inject him. "Don't."

"Don't be crazy, Cam," she said, touching his leg again. "You can't move if you're in pain."

She was right, but the truth though, was even _with _more pain meds, he wouldn't be able to go on any further. _Even if he tried._

He knew that, and he knew the thought and realization had come across her mind more than once in the last twenty-plus hours.

Dried blood and mud on his skin, like Sam's, Cameron placed his hand over hers. "...I've got to do this, Sam."

"Why?" she asked, though her voice was barely above a whisper. She swallowed, looking back at him, her eyes pleading silently with him.

_She knew. _She knew, and she didn't want him doing this. She didn't want him to be so damn foolish.

Voice low and raspy, he forced a small smile. "You know why."

She huffed tearfully at his words, shook her head. "You don't need to die just to prove..."

Her words trailed off; nevertheless, he discerned what she meant.

Sam had never thought he had to prove he was the right choice as leader of SG1 after she resigned the position.

To him, though, it had always felt like a deal General O'Neill gave him as a way of saying 'well, you did good saving our asses, so we're gonna let you lead a team of wannabes as a reward'.

It's why he hadn't wanted any other team; it's why he wanted _their _team.

_It's why he wanted _his _team._

None of that was why he had to do this, himself had _nothing_ to do with _why_.

His ribs made breathing hurt like hell, still Cameron grimaced through the pain as he cupped Sam's cheek. "That's not it," he breathed, his tear-filled gaze searching hers. "That's not it, Sam."

She squeezed her eyes shut, forced tears down both cheeks as she shook her head away from his hand. Opening her eyes, she leaned into his touch. "I'm not worth dying for," she said, each word spoken slowly and softly.

"We knew this was a suicide mission when we took it," he said, almost questioningly, and she gently nodded. "And remember what I told you? I said I'd protect you. I told you, if and when things went south, I'd get you home, didn't I?"

Sam swallowed, nodding. "But I'm _not_ worth youdying."

His lips curved with a small smile. "See, 'cause I think otherwise."

Tears leaving her eyes, she tried to shake her head again, only a sob escaped. "No, Cam..."

"If we both leave, we'll both die because I'll slow us down. But if you go—if you go and I stay here, I can fight them off while you make it back through the gate."

"No. I won't."

"Damnit, Sam..."

"I have _never _left anyone behind, and I won't leave you behind, Cameron!"

He winced at her tone. Winced at the thought of the pain he was causing her. "You _have_ to."

"No!"

"For fuck's sake, Sam!" His breathing was faster, deeper, and he looked away from her with a heavy sigh. "Just go! Go home! Take the data crystal in your pocket back to General Landry, and save our planet!"

"I can't, and..._I won't _leave you," she declared.

"You'll die!"

"If it means not leaving your side? Then I'm prepared to make that sacrifice."

"Not me. Not in place of _Earth_, in place of the billions of people we fight to protect _every damn day!_"

"You selfish, _selfish _son of a bitch," she cried, and she grabbed him by the front of his shirt, beat her fists against his chest.

He whimpered, pleading, "You have to do this, you have to leave me here."

"I _love you_, Cameron, and I would rather _die here with you_ than remember you dying here alone."

His eyes welling, Cameron lifted his hand to Sam's cheek and wiped the tears away with his thumb. "Earth..." he murmured, and she swallowed at that one word. "...you have to go, Sam. You have to save our planet. _Please_."

"Cameron..."

"No," he whispered, and he shook his head. "You have to do this. Billions of lives are depending on us. _On you_."

"I...can't...not when you didn't leave me, not when you were there by my side."

"And you won't leave me. You're here, Sam," he said, stopping her. He lifted his other hand to his chest, "In here."

"Cameron..."

Brushing his thumb over her lips, she silently closed her eyes, leaned into his gentle caress. "I love you too, Sam. I've loved you since that crazy night on the Jersey Shore."

Sam gently laughed at the memory, but it only made her tears that much more real. And when she opened her eyes, Cameron's gaze dropped to her lips, and in mere moments he captured her mouth with his. He kissed her slowly, and chastely, wanting one of her last memories of him to be a somewhat good one, considering the circumstances.

"Don't you turn back," he whispered, when their lips parted. "No matter what you hear, you keep moving, Sam."

"When it's over, when everything is over...I'm coming back for you. I'm coming back to this planet and I _will _find you..."

"I know. And I'll..." He didn't finish.

There were no last words. No last kiss, or last look. She pushed the pack toward him so it was within his reach, and with a simple nod from Cameron, which she returned tearfully, Sam took off in the direction of the Stargate.

"...I'll be right here," he whispered, faintly, watching as she ducked and weaved between the trees, and finally fading from view.

A tear, warm against his damp skin, rolled down his cheek.


End file.
